I'm a little new to the ethical hacking scene (actually I've been interested since studying at TAFE and reading a hacking report for Australian government). I've grabbed a book Ethical Hacking for Dummies (yes I know, quaint) but it seemed like a good start as it does explain a lot of the tools. What advice can you guys give for someone starting out. A bit of background - I am a desktop support engineer at present and have been fiddling around with Windows server (to an extent) and have some Linux knowledge (brought up an Asterisk server using some docos and stuffing around myself with some conf files).

I really would appreciate if you guys can give me some advice on how to get started and what to focus. What types of skills should I be developing? Are there any ethical hackers in Sydney who take some one on as maybe an apprentice or would be happy guide a young one

This site is a good start - there has been a lot of topics dedicated to learning how to become a professional. Check out some of the past posts and I'm sure you'll be busy a while learning / grabbing links / finding resources that will get you on your way.

Linux is an important OS to be comfortable in - most of the tools are written for use on Linux platforms, plus many of the tools themselves have that "Linux feel" in it's interface. after that, start practicing on different targets - download compromisable LiveCDs / virtual images and go to town... that in itself will push you to learn more specific skills so you know how to better perform a specific attack. Anyway, Good luck!... and happy hunting!